We have examined the behavioural traits of the slow learner. We concluded that slow learning is one of the main causes of low-achievement in the Mauritian context. What remedy is there for it?

Remedial action

Identify causes for each child individually. Is he/she a slow-learner? Has he/she language difficulties? Does he/she find schoolwork and schooling boring and/or has tremendous interests elsewhere, such as in football? Fishing? Is he/she always dreaming in his/her own personal world? Has low self-confidence? Suffers from a physical defect such as deafness? Is in pain? Suffers from ?Attention Deficit Disorder?? Has he/she simply not eaten at home before coming to school, resulting in starvation, mistaken for apathy and laziness? Is that child being abused?

Teachers (and parents) must employ specific methods, procedures and techniques at school/at home for getting the child to modify or change his/her behaviour.

When the primary cause of low-achievement and at times misbehaviour is lack of self-confidence (and self-esteem) and a feeling that he/she has little worth, the student feels rejected. (The person may choose apathy as a means of insulating him/herself from others who might possibly cause him/her pain). This student who is lonely and lacks ?affiliation? needs to develop a close friendship with an adult and to belong to a group of some kind. Group-work (as different from whole-class teaching) is an invaluable pedagogy here. Such a membership to a study group (specially if it is to carry out practical investigations as part of well-conducted science lessons) increases motivation. To improve self-esteem and develop a sense of being a worthwhile person, important to someone, give the student easy short-term tasks for which goals are clearly seen and achievable. This strategic action is essential for him/her to taste success.

Reward positive changes in behaviour; even a few words of recognition may be enough! Ask for his/her opinions during class and after class. Remember that involvement is a key. Therefore, involve the pupil in the learning process by creating a sense of ownership. Use terms such as ?your? school, your teacher, your class, and your future. Invite him/her to become involved in all attempts to improve the school environment. Attempt to make teaching materials more relevant to daily-life and interesting, with, throughout, use of a pupil-centered approach.

Accept the fact that not everything happening in the classroom/school is going to be of interest to everyone and that some students who are not really apathetic may be labelled thus erroneously. Contact parents immediately when you begin to observe this problem. Don?t wait until the student is far behind in his/her work for this. Seek advice from the counsellor; at secondary level consult other teachers who have this student in their class; at primary level it pays to consult with teachers who had the given pupil in previous years, (a good case against too many transfers as obtained in our primary schools) At every opportunity, express your concern and your desire for this student to succeed. Until you can give the student a win, he/she will remain a loser. Therefore, consider adjusting your standards to reach this student.

Taking a broader view, a change of school or type of schooling may be beneficial. A concrete example I know is that of a difficult child, a low-achiever in his academic school in Mauritius who did brilliantly when transferred to an outward-bound school overseas, with its accent on open learning, discovery and taking personal responsibility for one?s development. In Mauritius, the progress made in 2005, with the creation of polytechnics (as a hands-on alternative stream to academic studies at HSC), must be followed through, to cater for those 16/17 year-olds with differing aptitudes.

Mistakes in dealing with low achievers

Common misjudgments and errors in managing children with such difficulty are:

Failing to create easy/appropriate opportunities for such student to succeed and learn success,

Failing to check to see that the student is completing assignments on a daily basis and failing in general monitoring of performance,

Requiring less from this student than from other students.

Failing to make a sincere effort to really get to know the student personally/his parents/background/ antecedents

Confronting/insulting the student in front of the class for poor work; corporal punishment (i.e. attacking the child instead of helping to build or re-build self-esteem). Do you remember the hopeless headmaster in the film ?Les Choristes??

Exclusion, that is ignoring the student altogether, or assuming he/she doesn?t want to learn; denial, assuming that the student is OK, is physically and mentally well and ready to learn when he/she is not.

There is a huge body of research on remedies for slow-learning and low-achievement at school, not all of it on the same wavelength. All educators would do well to keep abreast of such research. Go on the Internet or use the MIE library. On a simpler level , take note of your practical observations and share them with others. They may be of great value to someone else!

Dr. Michael ATCHIA [email protected]